Be soft. Don’t crumble.

I think this is the time of the year for Girl Scout Cookies. Many of you know I don’t eat cookies anymore. The last time I had a cookie was 1980 or so. I bet there have been a lot of new and delightful cookies since that time. And some old favorites too.

Shhhhoooooweee. I used to love the very soft and melty chocolate chip cookie, right out of the oven. Soft. Not crunchy. Homemade peanut butter cookies. Soft again. The kind with the fork pattern criss-cross on top. Why do people do that to peanut butter cookies, I wonder. Push down forks in the tops of PB cookies to make that pattern?  I am no baker.  That makes me curious.  Is it for aesthetics only?  If so, they should change it to a smiley face.

Back to yesteryear.  And then, my other favorite as a kid was the oatmeal cookie. Not just any though. My mom used to roll up the dough in waxed paper and put it in the fridge overnight. And she would slice us off some cookies before they were baked. THIS was the best. Cold dough.  Soft again, you see.

But the Girl Scouts. I was never a Girl Scout, and I won’t rehash the story of me being a Brownie For A Day. To briefly reiterate the tale, I got peed on. I decided that was not the life path for me. And as a result, I never had to sell any cookies. A couple of my sisters did though, and I always liked this time of the year. (GSCs are on sale, depending on the area, anywhere between January and April, I am told.)

My favorites were the peanut butter cookies. Two peanut butter crunchy type cookies with peanutty butter in between. Like a Nutter Butter Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookie. Those.

But after 1980, I liked their cheese crackers. They don’t have those any longer. Apparently, some of the GS Flavors come and go. In fact, there have been 15 different Girl Scout Cookies which have been discontinued.

I know you are waiting for it, so here it is.

  1. Van’chos. 1974-1983
  2. Kookaburras early 1980s
  3. Golden Yangles (these were the cheesy crackers) 1980 – 1992
  4. Praline Royales 1992
  5. Golden Nut Clusters 1992
  6. Juliettes 1993-1996
  7. Snaps 1993 – 1997
  8. Upside Downs 1999
  9. Le Chips late 1990s
  10. Aloha Chips early 2000s
  11. Apple Cinnamons 1997 – 2001
  12. Oles Oles 2001 – 2003
  13. Cinna-spins 2008
  14. Lemon Chalets 2008
  15. Mango Cremes 2013

Now you see. Once the Van’chos, the Kookaburras, and the Golden Yangles left town, it was one big Cookie Roller Coaster Ride. A lot of those on the list were attempts at “healthy” cookies, and “reduced calorie” cookies, and “low fat” cookies. Even Gluten Free.

I have Kid Wisdom here, on this one, folks. Here is the Great Big Secret about the Cookie, which everyone knows in the deepest of their souls. We are all cognizant of this, without any visitation from the Cookie Monster, or the Keebler Elves. The Great Big Truth.

Cookies should be decadent, scrumptious, wonderful, and wicked. Otherwise, it is just a ‘waste of taste’ with some sugar on top.

Cookies, with a capital C, should make your neck crane back and your chin lift toward the ceiling as you chew. And when the glorious flavors strike your palette, your toes wiggle inside your shoes. And then you smile.

This is the cookie. The wholesome good. The big hoorah. Maybe today, we can have one with a friend, and share the absolute joy. Even if we don’t want to eat a cookie, we can still share the good. Smile and say Peanut Butter.

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“When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.”
― Rumi

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“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.”
― Thich Nhat Hanh

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“Pan, who and what art thou?” he cried huskily.
“I’m youth, I’m joy,” Peter answered at a venture, “I’m a little bird that has broken out of the egg.”
― J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

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